This article has been subjected to double blind peer review

This article has been published in: Ocula 23, Flowers of the soul: The symbolism of flowers in the religious imagination

author: Ilaria Sabbatini (SISMEL)

«Apple of Paradise»: the botanical descriptions in the pilgrimage diaries of the Florentine corpus between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries

language: italian

abstract: In the Florentine diaries of pilgrimages to the Holy Land, dated between the XIIIth and xvth centuries, nature is always ascribed a powerfully symbolic value. This has both a metaphorical dimension and a taxonomic approach that is derived from the influence of practical writings, such as family books. The plant species described by the Florentine diarists, even within this new naturalistic paradigm, continue to maintain the sense of wonder and miracle as if they were a tangible expression of a divine presence that animates places and nature.

citation information: Ilaria Sabbatini, «Poma di paradiso»: le descrizioni botaniche nei diari di pellegrinaggio del corpus fiorentino tra XIII e XV secolo, "Ocula", vol.21, n.23, pp.90-108, July 2020. DOI: 10.12977/ocula2020-30

Ocula.it publishes articles and essays in semiotic research, with a particular eye on communication and culture; it is open to dialogue with other research fields and welcomes contributions from all the areas of the social and human sciences. See the Editorial Board and the Editorial Board.